breaking up with LinkedIn: the start-up rewriting the networking rulebook
meet my friend(s) Remi & Bella - the founders building Ponnd, a networking renaissance
Welcome to Meet My Friend, a new series where I’ll be sharing conversations with some of the amazing people I’ve crossed paths with in the world of brand and marketing. These are the creatives, early-stage founders, and industry peers—whether in PR, comms, influencer marketing, community or content—who are inspiring me that you need to know about.
Up first, I’m excited to introduce Remi & Bella, the founders of Ponnd, a platform that’s flipping the script on professional networking with a focus on authenticity and building real connections, not just the same old clickbait posts that sound robotic at best and completely cringe at worst - the “anti-LinkedIn" if you will. Our paths crossed through a chance conversation my husband, Nick, had with them on some tech questions, and it was one of those small world moments when our newsletters came up organically in their conversation.
As first time founders and best friends, they’re navigating the highs and lows of building a business, and I’m excited to bring their story to you.
hi Remi & Bella,
It’s great to connect via Substack (what a wonderful community!)
Image: Remi & Bella
As first-time founders, can you tell us a bit about your backgrounds? How did you both get here?
Bella: Absolutely! My path has been anything but linear… I left school at 16 to follow my childhood dream of being a ballerina. That landed me in NYC at 17 where I lived for 4 years. I relocated back to Sydney when covid hit and decided it was time to pivot. Over the past 5 years I have built 2 businesses from the ground up, one a jewellery company and the most recent a graphic design studio. To put it plainly, I never felt as though I belonged on LinkedIn. And the spaces I did “belong” left me feeling scattered… having to put in 10x more effort into building and nurturing my network (typically across 4+ platforms). Essentially, it got to a point where I felt the need to build a solution. And the first person I thought of to do it with me (one who matches my delusion) was Remi.
Remi: I have worked in marketing for 7 years, building communities and campaigns for household companies. But when I wanted to take the leap and transfer these skills to freelance, despite my 500+ connections, I felt lost in a sea competing rather than collaborating and saw firsthand how ineffective current tools are. Bell and I have been best friends for about 7 years now, so we were discussing these issues together and then decided why don’t we build something?
And, for those who haven’t yet heard of Ponnd, can you tell us about it? Why should readers download it? Who is Ponnd for?
We built Ponnd because the system we rely on to connect professionally (aka the necessary evil) was built to digitise CVs, not reflect who we are. It flattens identity, buries context, and kills momentum. Ponnd ensures the truest, deepest sense of the professional comes to life with modular, dynamic identities and intent-led discovery that reveals real alignment. By enabling authentic, high-context connections, Ponnd redefines professional networking for a world where context and credibility matter most.
Ponnd is for: those looking for meaningful & high context connection, those who want to ask big questions around career and have them answered. But also, anyone seeking a better way to show up professionally. You’re a consultant M-F however, after hours you craft beautiful pottery that you sell at the markets on the weekend?! COOL! let’s surface that. Humans are multi-faceted and Ponnd is built to surface and celebrate that. We don’t subscribe to this one-size-fits-all model.
We are at a really exciting point where we are very early in our journey having just released a V1 web app and are collaborating closely with our community to build exactly what they are looking for! We have a whatsapp group where we discuss feedback and experiences, it’s an opportunity to really shape the platform with us!
If you’re interested, you can join Ponnd world for testing and feedback here & you’re invited to join Remi & Bella in their Ponnd WhatsApp group.
Read more here
You’ve described Ponnd as “the anti-LinkedIn,” which is so clear and I love. That said, I know you had some hesitation when it came to directly mentioning a competitor and loved your newsletter examining this. How do you think leveraging competitor awareness can be helpful in brand positioning?
Remi: Initially it feels really awkward to continuously bring up the big competitor in your space. However, what we learnt over the past couple of months is that when you say professional network people’s heads already go straight to linkedin so it’s better if we fill in the dots. By saying the Anti-linkedin people can get a better picture immediately of the vibe of Ponnd and it gives them that ah-ha moment.
LinkedIn has a purpose and you can’t deny that they’ve done it very well. However it’s definitely time for something new in the space.
Building a start-up comes with its share of challenges—what have been some of the unexpected hurdles in building Ponnd?
Remi: As much as everyone tells you it’s a rollercoaster, you don’t really understand it properly until your in it. You have massive wins or just brilliant weeks, but there’s also lots of rejection and sometimes just generally low weeks. The way you push through and how you manage that is really important I think. Specifically, being non-technical for both of us has been tricky just in trying to keep momentum. But it is one of those things that you just have to sit down and do what can we do now to push the needle and keep going.
Building in public is a trend that's gained a lot of momentum and is a marketing hot topic. How have you approached this at Ponnd? Why do you think it resonates with today’s audience?
Remi: Everyone is so trained to recognise polished, unauthentic content in this age of the internet that I think being very human and vulnerable is one of the best ways to cut through. It gives people more buy into the business because they also know you as a human. We are definitely building in public, but it is still something we are navigating and evolving. It’s very scary to be open on the internet!!!
How do you decide what’s worth sharing? What’s your criteria for transparency?
It’s a fine line, but I think we always err on the side of could someone else learn something from this or resonate? We want to make sure whatever we are sharing is adding some sort of value and it’s not sharing for the sake of building in public.
Bella on Ponnd’s Instagram
Branding clearly plays a huge role in Ponnd—your app design is chic and purpose-driven, subverting the traditional professional networking norm. I love the Ponnd cursors. How integral is design to the product’s identity?
Bella: We’ve always said we’re a design-led company enabled by tech. I am the biggest advocate for good design and it is a hill I will die on. I think too often it is overlooked or seen as a “nice to have” in the startup scene, especially so when you’re building, launching and then scrapping things a week later.
Design is part of our DNA. We’re in the business of humans so there is a level of care and attention to detail that is at the heart of every product decision. That being said, we are still very much a work in progress and will continue to make the experience a more and more beautiful one.
See more here
What’s been working well for you in terms of growth? Are there any unexpected strategies or channels that have been particularly effective?
Haha the merch is still very much a concept, but hopefully we will have physical items one day!! IRL events & substack have honestly been our bread & butter. The substack community has a lot of alignment with our ethos so that has been a fantastic avenue & there’s nothing that can really compare to person to person interaction.
Finally - how are you approaching community building at Ponnd?
Community is integral to Ponnd. It’s not something we layer on top, it’s something we build everything around. Our approach is high-context and high-touch, we want to make sure everything we do is adding value, not just more noise. So what that looks like in action is a tight-knit WhatsApp group where early adopters connect with each other (and with us) daily, as well as IRL events in all formats — from open networking nights to intimate dinners and panel nights. At the end of the day Ponnd is a shared space shaped by the people within it and that only works if we’re listening, evolving, and building it with them.
Quick Fire Five:
Which AI tools are you both loving right now?
Remi: Claude is a go to for me & motion for cal planning!
Bella: I am a big chat-gpt gal for daily tasks and brain dumping. Other than that I keep it super simple.
What newsletters do you follow to stay ahead of the curve?
Remi: On Brand & Thinking Out Loud are too of my fav atm as well as ICYMI for more granular platform updates.
Bella: I adore
.As Sydney locals, what are your go-to beaches and work-friendly spots in the city?
Remi: We are both Surry Hills gals so Rueben Hills & AP Bakery would be our hotspots atm. I’ll leave beaches to Bell…
Bella: Parsley Bay is my go-to: specifically out on the rocks on the right hand side. Can’t beat it. The baths at Watson Bay are also pretty elite. Then there’s Camp Cove, Lady Martins and Shark Beach.
Where are you focusing your brand efforts right now - social, content, design?
In true start-up fashion, we would say all of the above!! We are going through a real strategy re-set behind the scenes at the moment, so stay tuned…
Lastly, which brands are you secretly obsessed with, but might not be on everyone’s radar?
Remi: Can I do a brand/person? My obsession is influencer Maggie Villamaria, she’s an influencer & artist. She just feels very authentic and I love her vintage, maximalist fun style. Brand wise I’m always obsessed with Late Check Out. I love the story telling and just overall coolness.
Bella: I am obsessed with any brand that cultivates a feeling and that has thought through every. single. touch. point. When I was in Milan last year I visited the Officine Universelle Buly store and it felt like stepping into heaven. From the packaging to the personalised calligraphy no stone in their customer experience was left unturned. My partner and I had the privilege of staying at Hôtel du Couvent shortly after they had opened. Whilst at times I felt as though I’d walked onto the set of White Lotus the experience was unmatched. They had considered every detail. The most exquisite branded stationery, bar soap and hand cream, all of which came home with me.
Thoughtfulness and experience are the two things I look for.
Check out Ponnd World for more.
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I need Ponnd in my life!